Weird Customer - Or is it me?

[jojo]

A few months ago, I recovered 3 booth seats for a local Indian restaurant. They are very nice people, by the  way. The guy who recovered them before me went out of business and so did the local fabric store that supplied the vinyl. I had a heck of a time finding a match; poured over tons of sample books. I ended up telling the guy that I couldn't find an exact match, but something very close. Close enough that no one would ever notice, especially in the dim lighting of the restaurant.
Anyway, they ended up looking great, and if there was a problem, I was never told about it. Almost all the other seats need recovering as well, but they never contacted me about finishing.
We ate there the other day, and actually sat in the booth that I recovered. Then I noticed that some other booths had the ugly no-sew package wrapped job.
I mean, it is really unsightly.
So, I can't figure out what went wrong....did the guy think I charged too much? I actually barely made a profit because the vinyl was more expensive than I had anticipated. Was he unhappy with the color match? Should I send the guy a sales letter reminding him I'm here?
I've never had a problem like this before. I know it's not that the sewing job is unsatisfactory - it's a simple  booth seat, and it's nice and tight.
Any insight? thanks in advance!

[mike802]

Then I noticed that some other booths had the ugly no-sew package wrapped job

I would suspect they are doing them themselves, cost is probably the issue, but don't beat yourself up over it.  Times are hard for everyone and they are probably just hanging on.

[SHHR]

This may help with your answer, I had a friend who was in the restaurant business once tell me that if you want to make a small fortune in a restaurant, you need to start out with a large fortune.

I was in a very popular Mexican place in town the other day, they just moved to this new location because of cost savings. Anyway, I noticed their chairs were in a very poor condition and their booths had the "Christmas package wrap look". the owners are also the cooks, servers, and management, so I handed them a card  and said politely "if they ever needed any work done, let me know". The lady responded they take care of all of that themselves because of cost savings.
I just thanked her and dropped it, I knew then nothing would ever come from it.
Kyle

[Mike8560]

my though also.though the price was fine they  probly just sisnt have the money to have it done. heck  I coldnt pay for some of the suff ive done for myself. ive got what i think is a great price to build somthing i need but i just have to out it off a bit.

[sofadoc]

Yeah, restaurants (especially ethnic "Mom & Pop" ones) are notoriously cheap when it comes to stuff like that. I doubt that you did anything wrong (other than charging them).
It's ironic that you beat yourself up trying to match the vinyl, only to find out later that they slopped the rest of them together.

[stitcher_guy]

I had one of our local Chinese restaurants ask me awhile back about booths. They'd gotten brand new out of an "ultra leather-like" covering. Very soft looking, and very very very bad idea for a restaurant. torn to shreds inside 6 months. I quoted the price, even explained how we'd presew covers, come in at night and recover so there was no break in business. Never heard back. went in to eat a few weeks later, and they'd been Christmas-wrapped. oh well. Ya gotta watch your costs where you can. Still like their food, manager is a great guy, and the booths like hell. LOL

[jojo]

Thanks guys, I feel better now.
I once belonged to a gym that package-wrapped their gym equipment seats! It was awful...the pokey corners would dig into the back of your bare thighs. I gave them my card and offered to recover their stuff in a barter deal, but the guy said, "We have a guy who does it for us." Wow. They didn't even package wrap it themselves. They paid someone to do it!!

[kodydog]

Your last comment makes me wonder if the restaurant found some cut-rate slop shop to do their upholstery. Never lower your standards jojo.

[Mike8560]

I had  / have a. Ustimer put me off paying A$400 bill because a cover was 1/4" lower on one side o. A welder  over  might have sliped a bit but I'll fis it and  they bought time till  paying.

[Gregg @ Keystone Sewing]

We say it here all the time; best price is not always the best value.  I think this applies here. 

I've said this many times over, that most customers have no idea what to look for in a quality canvas or upholstery job.

[jojo]

Update: He called today, and wants me to do the rest of the booths! Coincidence? Or maybe the staff saw me eyeballing their package wrapped seats when I ate there a few days ago and told him? Anyway, I'll take it. A job's a job.

[kodydog]

I'm guessing they saw the work of the discount upholsterer and went back to you.

Last November I gave a big estimate to a dentist. All the furniture in her waiting room  including a 10 price sectional and 4 dentist chairs. I came highly recommended by another doctor I did  work for. A week before Christmas her office manager calls and says she found someone 150 miles away (upholsterer on wheels) with a crew that could do the job for 20% less. She wanted to know if I could match their price and if I could do it over Christmas vacation. She hadn't even picked out her fabric yet. She said they really wanted to use me. I told her I could work with her on her schedule but I already discounted the price because it was such a big job. I reminded her I do every piece myself to insure quality. I'm local if any thing happens and she needs a quick repair. I told her I have great references, including her Doctor friend. I wondered to myself if she even met the guy on the phone. I said I'd love to do this job for her but I couldn't drop my price any lower. I don't know if this message made it back to the dentist. I haven't heard back.

This all happened before Sterry56 "list of 10" Dec 23. I wish I had given her my "Set the Standard" list. Would this make a difference. Maybe.

The good thing is I've been swamped since the first of November. Thinking about hiring a stripper (staple puller). My first employee in 5 years.

In the 20 years I've been in business I've gone down on my price only once. This was when I was first starting out and kicked myself in the butt the whole time I was doing the job.

Stick to your price and never compromise your quality. You'll do all right.

[byhammerandhand]

This is one of my favorite quotes.   A guy I knew that had a walk-in shop had it prominently displayed.

"There is hardly anything in this world that some man cannot make a little worse
and sell a little cheaper, and those people who consider price only, are this man's lawful prey. It is unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little. When you pay too much you lose a little money - that is all.   When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do.    The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot; it cannot be done.   If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better"

John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)